I have often wondeed what Guihulngan looked like before I was born, and there is nothing like those old photographs, black and white, that can answer this.
Mr Fernando Villegas, lent me a picture dated July 4, 1952, taken during the 6th anniversary celebration of the Philippine Independence Day. The shot was taken from the second floor of Dr Gualberto Rivera's residence, facing south.
We have a motorcade of old automobiles flanked by bicycles. Then Mayor William Billy Villegas (who later rose to boardmember, vice governor and eventually governor of the province of Negros Oriental) is here with his vice mayor, Hon Jose Tirambulo Trinidad.
On the foreground riding a bike with a box-like frame (maybe like a float?) is Mr Fructoso "Tusoy" Dorimon. Mr Tusoy Dorimon used to write legal documents, somewhat like a clerk in those days when lawyers were so scarce.
At the other side, Mrs Jesusa Penaflor Villegas (mother of Noy Fernando), then the only woman municipal employee (talk of discrimination against women, ha ha ha)at the municipio, with Raymundo Orcullo (principal clerk at MTO) ( with bike, how popular and a status symbol those days), and Gervacio Guzman (in checkered shirt, soon to become the policeman).
Those acacia trees is the parking area, and at the far end is Anoy Logronio's botica. All structures were of temporary materials, like nipa and wooden walls.
Take note, the third car is the weapon's carrier (model, that is, translated to the younger generation) of Mrs Memeng (Filomena)Alquizola Reyes, mother of incumbent mayor Ernesto Reyes.
The billboard advertizes Oriental Academy (one of the two secondary highschools here, the other one being Hibbard Institute which was a branch of Silliman University).
Noy Fernando recalls that every Independence Day (July 4 was later moved to June 12), the veterans were asked to recall their wartime experiences as Filipino soldiers defended democracy.
